Hewitt set to serve for his favourite football team

WIMBLEDON champion Lleyton Hewitt has been given permission to skip the final day of Australia's Davis Cup play-off against India in September to live out a sporting fantasy and play for his beloved Adelaide Crows Australian Rules Football team.

According to an Australian newspaper report, Australian Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald will allow Hewitt to play for the Crows in the annual charity match against Port Adelaide, providing Australia have already clinched the tennis tie 3-0.

Australia are due to face India in a World Group play-off tie in Hewitt’s hometown on Adelaide from September 20-22 with the Australian Rules match to be played at the Adelaide Oval on September 22.

Australia would need to win each of the opening singles rubbers as well as Saturday’s doubles to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead heading into the final day.

Hewitt was a promising Australian Rules footballer before switching his focus to tennis and is a devoted fan of the Crows.

His father Glynn played top-flight Australian Rules and he told the newspaper that he expected his son to play well in the charity match.

“He’s quick enough, he’ll get the ball and he’s skilful enough,” Glynn was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Albert Costa’s honeymoon was well and truly over when he was brought back down to earth at the Swiss Open by a French qualifier in his first match since winning the French Open crown just over a month ago.

Costa, who got married following his Roland Garros win last month and opted to miss the grass-court season to go on his honeymoon.

But he barely had time to unpack his baggage before he was sent skidding out of the event 6-4 6-3 in the first round on Tuesday by French qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu.

The promising 20-year-old Frenchman, who reached the fourth round at the French Open as a wildcard before falling to Andre Agassi in a five-set thriller, took advantage of Costa’s lack of match practice to gain the upper hand as the Spaniard struggled to find his footing on the slow surface.

French Open runner-up Juan Carlos Ferrero and third-seeded Swiss Roger Federer had little trouble easing into the second round.

Second seed Ferrero thrashed compatriot Alberto Martin 6-2 6-2 to set up yet another all-Spanish battle with David Sanchez in the second round.

Federer posted a 6-4 6-3 win over Hicham Arazi of Morocco.

Marc Rosset won the all-Swiss clash 7-6 3-6 6-3 with George Bastl, conqueror of seven-times champion Pete Sampras in the second round at Wimbledon.